Proposal to amend specifications of Fastmarkets’ manganese ore high grade indices

Fastmarkets proposes to amend the chemical specifications of its indices for high grade CIF and FOT Tianjin manganese ore.

Fastmarkets’ MB-MNO-001 Manganese ore high grade index, cif Tianjin, $ per dmtu, and MB-MNO-0005 Manganese ore high grade port index, fot Tianjin, China, yuan per dmtu, track the spot prices of high-grade manganese ore in the seaborne CIF China market and Chinese portside market respectively, with manganese content and other chemical specifications set to match the prevailing brands.

Fastmarkets proposes to widen the manganese base to 42-44.5% from 43.5%, while keeping the overall range to 40-47%.

Fastmarkets also proposes to change the iron base to a range of 3.5-5.0% from 4.5%, the silica base to a range of 8.0-15.0% from 11%, the phosphorus base to a range of 0.07-0.11% from 0.10%, the alumina base to a range of 5.5-7.6% from 6.5%, and the moisture base to a range of 3.0-8.0% from 5.5%. The max levels will not change.

This proposal adjusts Fastmarkets’ specifications to bring them into line with the current market, amid frequent changes in the manganese content of commonly traded ores in recent months.

The proposed new specifications and names are as follows:

MB-MNO-0001 Manganese ore high-grade index, cif Tianjin, $ per dmtu
Quality: 5.5-75mm lump. Manganese base range 42-44.5%, Manganese accepted range 40-47%; Iron base range 3.5-5.0%, Iron accepted range 0.0-16.0%; Silica base range 8.0-15.0%, Silica accepted range 0.0-17.0%; Phosphorus base range 0.07-0.11%, Phosphorus accepted range 0.0-0.16%; Alumina base range 5.5-7.6%, Alumina accepted range 0.0-14.0%; Moisture base range 3.0-8.0%, Moisture accepted range 0.0-12.0%
Quantity: Min 5,000 tonnes
Location: CIF Tianjin, China (normalized for any Chinese mainland sea port)
Timing: Within nine weeks
Unit: USD per dry metric tonne unit
Payment terms: Cash or LC on sight
Publication: Friday 3pm, London.

MB-MNO-0005 Manganese ore high-grade port index, fot Tianjin, China, yuan per dmtu
Quality: 5.5-75mm lump. Manganese base range 42-44.5%, Manganese accepted range 40-47%; Iron base range 3.5-5.0%, Iron accepted range 0.0-16.0%; Silica base range 8.0-15.0%, Silica accepted range 0.0-17.0%; Phosphorus base range 0.07-0.11%, Phosphorus accepted range 0.0-0.16%; Alumina base range 5.5-7.6%, Alumina accepted range 0.0-14.0%; Moisture base range 3.0-8.0%, Moisture accepted range 0.0-12.0%
Quantity: Min 1,000 tonnes
Location: FOT Tianjin, China (normalized for any Chinese mainland sea port)
Timing: Immediate
Unit: CNY per dry metric tonne unit
Payment terms: Cash or equivalent
Publication: Friday 5-6pm, Shanghai time.

These prices are part of the Fastmarkets ores & alloys physical prices package.

This four-week open consultation begins on Friday June 28, 2024, and will close on Tuesday July 30, 2024. The amendment will be implemented as of Friday August 2.

The consultation seeks to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market under indexation, in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). This includes all elements of our pricing process, our price specifications and publication frequency.

To provide feedback on these indices, or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to these indices, please contact Tina Tong or Holly Chant by email at pricing@fastmarkets.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Tina Tong/Holly Chant, re: Manganese ore high grade indices.”

Please indicate if comments are confidential. Fastmarkets will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.

To see all Fastmarkets’ pricing methodology and specification documents, go to: https://www.fastmarkets.com/methodology.

What to read next
Fastmarkets proposes to launch Nordic sawn timber export prices for selected European markets and grades, while discontinuing the PIX Sawn Timber FAS Finland indices. The PIX sawn timber FAS Finland indices have not been widely adopted by the industry and the new price assessments will offer more end-market-specific data for major European markets and will […]
To increase transparency, Fastmarkets has further clarified how it handles price movements during periods of low liquidity. Factors that Fastmarkets may consider during times of low liquidity include, but are not limited to: market fundamentals such as changes in inventory levels, shipments, operating rates and export volumes; relative fundamentals of similar commodities in the same […]
Fastmarkets invited feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for PIX Packaging GCC indices via an open consultation process between April 16 and May 14, 2025. This consultation was done as part of our published annual methodology review process. Full details of the prices covered by this consultation can be found here. No feedback […]
Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for the PIX Forest Biomass Finland price indices, as part of its announced annual methodology review process. This consultation, which is open until June 12, 2025, seeks to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market under indexation, in compliance with the […]
The publication of the following price was delayed for 10 minutes: MB-ALU-0002 Alumina index, fob Australia, $/tonne This price is a part of the Fastmarkets Base Metals package. For more information or to provide feedback on the delayed publication of this price or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter […]
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the frequency of Taiwan base metals prices from biweekly to monthly, and the delivery timing for the tin 99.99% ingot premium from two weeks to four weeks.